Srinagar, Aug. 11 -- For more than a decade, a large section of Jammu and Kashmir's educated youth has been caught in a paradox - they have been the backbone of the higher education system, yet remain excluded from its permanent structure. These are the contractual lecturers who have devoted 10 to 15 years - the prime years of their lives - to teaching in colleges across the Union Territory. Many among them completed their post-graduation more than 15 years ago, earned their PhDs a decade back, cleared NET or SET, and contributed to academia through research papers, publications, and seminars. Yet, during those years, permanent recruitment notifications for college posts were either absent or so rare that most never got a chance to apply....